FB Stock Price: What Most People Get Wrong About Meta

FB Stock Price: What Most People Get Wrong About Meta

If you head to your favorite finance app and type in "FB," you might be met with a confusing blank screen or a redirect you didn't ask for. It’s been years since the world’s most famous social network traded under those two letters. Honestly, it’s a bit of a trip. People still search for the fb stock price like it’s 2018, but the ticker symbol FB is officially dead. It was buried back in June 2022 when Mark Zuckerberg decided the company needed to be about the "metaverse" rather than just a blue app where your aunt posts minion memes.

Today, you’re looking for META. As of mid-January 2026, the stock is hovering around $620.25. It’s been a wild ride lately. Just a few months ago, the stock was pushing toward all-time highs near $800, but the market has been a bit moody.

Why the FB Stock Price Doesn't Exist Anymore

Back in the day, FB was the gold standard for social media investing. But the rebrand to Meta Platforms changed everything. When they ditched the "FB" ticker, it wasn't just a cosmetic flip. It was a signal that the company was going to spend billions—and I mean billions—on virtual reality and AI.

Some investors hated it. They thought Zuck was lighting cash on fire. In fact, the stock famously cratered in late 2022, dropping to around $90. If you’d bought then? You’d be laughing all the way to the bank right now. But the confusion remains for casual observers who haven't checked their portfolio in a while.

The Current State of Meta in 2026

Where does the price stand today? Well, the 52-week range has been a massive spread between $479.80 and $796.25. That is some serious volatility.

Right now, the market is obsessed with two things:

  • AI Capex: Meta is planning to spend upwards of $100 billion on data centers this year.
  • Ad Revenue: Despite the "metaverse" name, basically all their money ($50 billion+ a quarter) still comes from ads on Instagram and Facebook.

The stock took a hit recently because of that massive spending plan. Investors get nervous when they see the "Year of Efficiency" turn into the "Year of Spending Everything We Have on Chips." But analysts at Piper Sandler recently named Meta their top large-cap pick for 2026. They're betting that all those AI servers will make Instagram ads so scary-accurate that revenue will skyrocket.

Real Talk: Is it a Buy?

It depends on who you ask. Barton Crockett, an analyst over at Rosenblatt, put a price target of $1,117 on it recently. That’s a bold claim. On the flip side, some folks on Reddit are convinced that platforms like Reddit (hi!) or TikTok are eating Meta's lunch.

But look at the numbers. Users are spending 5% more time on Facebook and 10% more on Threads compared to last year. People keep saying Facebook is for "old people," but the "Family of Apps" is still a cash-printing machine.

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What Most People Miss About the Ticker Change

The shift from FB to META was actually supposed to happen sooner. They almost went with the ticker "MVRS" (shorthand for Metaverse). Can you imagine? Luckily, they snagged META from an exchange-traded fund that was using it.

The transition wasn't perfectly smooth. There’s a documented "hangover effect" when companies change tickers. Trading volume usually dips because people are literally typing the wrong letters into their brokerages. If you're still looking for the fb stock price, you're technically looking at a ghost.

The Numbers You Actually Need

If you're trying to value the company today, don't just look at the price tag. Look at the fundamentals:

  • Price-to-Earnings (P/E) Ratio: Sitting around 27.4. For a tech giant, that’s actually somewhat reasonable.
  • Earnings Per Share (EPS): Currently around $22.60.
  • Market Cap: Roughly $1.56 Trillion.

What’s Next for Meta Investors?

The big date to watch is January 28, 2026. That’s when Meta drops its full-year 2025 earnings report. If they show that the AI spending is actually resulting in more ad clicks, the stock could easily bounce back toward those $800 highs. If they just say "trust us, we need more GPUs," the price might stay in the gutter for a while.

Actionable Steps for You:

  1. Update your Watchlist: Delete FB. Add META. It sounds simple, but you'd be surprised how many stale alerts people have.
  2. Watch the Capex: Keep an eye on the quarterly "Capital Expenditure" line. If it crosses $110 billion without a corresponding jump in revenue, be careful.
  3. Check User Growth: Don't believe the "Facebook is dying" hype without checking the Daily Active People (DAP) metric in their reports. If that stays flat or grows, the company is fine.
  4. Evaluate AI Integration: Open the Instagram or WhatsApp app. If the AI tools feel useful to you, they're probably useful to 3 billion other people. That’s the real "product" you’re betting on.

Meta isn't just a social media company anymore. It's a massive bet on the infrastructure of the future. Whether you think Zuck is a genius or a madman, you can't deny that the company has one of the strongest balance sheets in the world. Just stop looking for FB. It's META now.